NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars for nearly 14 years now. Recently, it sent back a remarkable photo of one of its wheels. The image, captured on July 23, 2026, shows cracks and holes in the metal. It is a fascinating reminder of how harsh conditions on Mars really are.
Curiosity landed in Mars' Gale Crater on August 5, 2012. Since then, the rover has traveled over 32 kilometers across rocky terrain. Its six wheels are made of aluminum, and each one is 50 centimeters wide. The thin metal skin has gradually worn down from sharp rocks on the surface.
Engineers at NASA regularly inspect the rover's wheels using its own cameras. Every 1,000 meters, the rover photographs its wheels to monitor the damage. Despite the visible wear, NASA has said the wheels are still holding up. If the rover had softer wheels, they would have failed much sooner.
Curiosity's wheel damage has taught NASA valuable lessons about space engineering. The newer Perseverance rover was designed with stronger, improved wheels as a result. Many people take it for granted that we receive daily images from Mars. These photos remind us what an incredible achievement space exploration truly is.
